Last Summer I bought a stash of vintage quilt top pieces at an antique store, I think they make great little pillows and was planning to do more, but then I got the idea to make a Frances GoodyBag Tote Purse out of some of the pieces.

To make it work for the bag I started with this one long rectangular piece. I cut it in half, then stitched a strip about an inch wide on either side using the navy blue with white and red blossoms – also vintage fabric.

The quilt top fabric itself is thin and well, vintage. So, I backed the entire piece with muslin and stitched it together following the existing stitch lines so you can’t really see the thread.

Then I handwashed the two squares because they smelled like old mothballs – blech – then dried them, and pressed them. 

Then I cut the front and back for Frances and squared up the edges.  To finish I needed to get a lining fabric which I found today at 35th Sew & Vac, they have an enormous selection of 1930s reproductions, I found a lovely red with blue flowers and tiny black dots in the background.  I’ll be selling this bag at the GoodyBag Party at the end of March.